Lionel Messi has won a record eighth Ballon d’Or, beating off competition from Manchester City sensation Erling Haaland for the 2023 award.
Messi was favourite to clinch the Golden Ball heading into the star-studded ceremony in Paris, and he was indeed handed the gong by Chelsea legend Didier Drogba on Monday night.
The 36-year-old came ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in second and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe in third.
It is the eighth time that Messi has been crowned the best men’s player on the planet, with his performances during the 2022 World Cup going a long way to ensuring he claimed the individual silverware. The Argentina captain scored in every knockout-stage game en route to La Albiceleste finally ending their wait for a global trophy. At club level, Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain secure the Ligue 1 title, registering 16 goals and 16 assists.
